There are few candies on the market that have been
popular for over fifty years and can boast of having
their own fan club. Such is the legacy of Peeps,
those little marshmallow chicks that flock to the
shelves this time of year- and with good reason.
Many consider it a must have item for their Easter
baskets, contributing to the company's year-round
production of sugary treats numbering 1.2 billion.
Among Peep aficionados, most feel strongly about
just how they should be eaten. Leading the way is
proud Peep fan, Pam Wilkinson of Gray who said,
"Oh, yes! Peeps are best if you leave them
in the fridge for one year, and eat them the next
season." Why? "Because they're crunchy."
Pam is partial to purple but "I do enjoy the
traditional yellow. One of each, maybe, but purple
is my best." "The reason that I know that
they're good to eat a year later is because I already
took them out and ate the whole package of purple
ones!" Fortunately, Pam said, she still has
a year-old pack of yellow ones to look forward to.
Seeking out other true fans, The Monument went to
Marden's and Rite Aid in Gray. We asked local people
if they liked Peeps and if so, how they liked to
eat them. Debbie of Gray said Peeps were one of
her favorites (she prefers the yellow ones.) "I
like them fresh," she said, "and one at
a time." Linda of Windham answered, "The
little marshmallow chicks? Yes I like them- I think
it's just conditioned."
Alex Adams of Gray said that "If you put two
of them in the microwave and stick a toothpick in
each, when they melt it looks like they're having
a swordfight."
Celine Martinez of Gray said her husband eats them,
"At least until he went on his low carb diet.
They're better stale. You have to open them and
let them get stale," she said adding, "I
go for chocolate."
Also speaking for her husband was Lita Brown of
Gray who said, "I can't eat them myself because
of my dieting but my husband loves them." She
said they should be eaten, "Head first, with
a nice big crunch! Then the rest in two bites."
Brown says she likes all the colors. "I think
it's neat now with all the colors, but my husband
is fifty and still likes to eat the yellow ones.
That's a lot of years of eating Peeps." She
advises opening the package and letting them get
a little hard first.
Friends Amanda Tapley and Sam Taisey of Raymond
couldn't agree between themselves. "I just
love to bite the heads off and eat the rest of them,"
Tapley said. "I like how it tastes because
of all the sugar." Taisey countered, "I
don't really like Peeps- too much marshmallow, too
much sugar for me. I can handle one maybe or two.
No more than that."
Far from alone, we found several people who really
dislike them as well. Natalie Morin of Windham answered,
"I don't know, I just don't like the marshmallow.
My grandson loves them though; he's eight."
Not a fan of the yellow birds, B.J. Maceachern of
Gray said, "Those are horrible." Another
patron responded similarly. "I don't like them.
Yuck: too gooey."
There are other options for those that find themselves
with leftover Peeps after the holiday. We visited
the official Peep website (www.marshmallowpeeps.com/)
and found several ideas to get you started.
Under the heading "Peeptastic Craft and Recipe
Ideas" we found such optimistic projects as
wreaths, picture frames, room beads and even a Sweet-Peeps
Casserole. This sincere site offers links to everything
the true Peeps fan needs including T-shirts, key
chains and travel mugs.
If all this is just a little too serious, there
is another but definitely unofficial Peeps website
that counters the sugary outlook, offering offbeat
Peeps research as a public service. "Here,
we try to discover just a little bit more about
the world around us through the miracles of science,
technology, and preservatives," quips the site
(www.peepresearch.org/).
http://www.peepresearch.org/ In one "experiment"
they test how Peeps hold up when exposed to cold
temperatures (such as being dipped in liquid nitrogen
and then tapped with a hammer.) Also tested are
high temperatures and high humidity, all in the
name of science. The results are documented with
photographs and while educational, are definitely
not for the squeamish Peeps fan.
